I love these cheap Hisense and Sony soundbars, but which one’s better?

Hisense HS214 vs Sony HT-SF150: price and availability

The Hisense HS214 was released back in 2021 and has a list price of $99 / £79 (about AU$160). But good news – you may be able to snap it up for even less. No, you’re not dreaming. For instance, I’ve seen this soundbar go for less than £70 via Amazon UK, which is an excellent price.

Meanwhile, the Sony HT-SF150 – or the Sony HT-S100F if you’re in the US and Australia – is a little older having first launched in 2018. It’s typically priced at $129 / £99 / AU$194, but again, you may not have to splash quite so much cash. I’ve personally seen it go for less than $100 / £90 / AU$180 – so there’s really not much in it between these two bars price-wise.

Hisense HS214 vs Sony HT-SF150: Specs

Hisense HS214 vs Sony HT-SF150: Features

Let’s start things off with a bang, because there’s a clear victor in the features department. But I won’t spoil it: let’s break things down. Both soundbars offer Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity, meaning you’ll be able to play music or podcasts from your phone. Of course, neither of these models are the newest, so you’re not getting a perfectly up-to-date Bluetooth version, but all modern smartphones will be compatible with this.

Each also supplies a collection of sound modes so you can fine tune audio to the type of content you’re watching. The Hisense HS214 has Movie, Music and News – but if you have a compatible Hisense TV, like the Hisense U7N, you’ll also be able to unlock Night and Sport. Each of these have a clearly defined sound, but I mainly stuck to Movie for enhanced bass output.

Meanwhile, the Sony HT-SF150 has Standard, Cinema, Music, Night, Standard and Voice EQ modes – as well as an Auto Sound option for seamless switching. That’s a bit more choice off the bat and the Voice mode is very efficient at bringing vocals to the fore.

Of course, both of these models are standalone soundbars – the Hisense does have a built-in sub, although you’re not going to get much in the way of surround sound. Despite that, the HS214 has a surround mode, but in my view, you’ll want to avoid that at all costs. Having this on significantly hampers audio quality, resulting in somewhat tinny sound output – not worth it for a bit more expansiveness.

However, the HT-SF150 uses Sony’s S-Force Front Surround virtual processing to create more of a spatial impression and I’m happy to report its pretty effective. Of course, this is a longer bar too, so naturally audio has more width with the Sony. But honestly, I was still impressed by the virtual processing on offer, which helped to map sound to the motion of on-screen action pretty accurately.

These are undoubtedly the main attractions for both models – which are among the best cheap soundbars out there. But the Sony soundbar does have a few more tricks up its sleeve. Namely, you can toggle Dolby Dynamic Range Control, which makes Dolby Digital audio easier to hear at lower volumes. There’s also multiplex broadcast sound here, which can be activated via the included-remote. All in all, these small additions, as well as its superior expansiveness give the Sony HT-SF150 the edge for me.

Hisense HS214 vs Sony HT-SF150: Audio performance

Both of these soundbars provide the core service I’d expect from an adept budget soundbar. They plate up largely clean audio that will provide a lift over the best small TVs and even some more premium alternatives.

With the Hisense HS214, you can expect clear vocals as well as impressive volume levels – especially for a soundbar of this size. That means you won’t have to try and decode tinny audio or turn to subtitles – something I’ve often had to do in the past when putting up with unclear TV sound quality. There’s also a built-in sub, the power of which can be adjusted with the soundbar’s remote. That means you can get respectable bass out of this, given it’s a small standalone soundbar. It’s not going to be booming mind you – you’ll likely need a more premium alternative or a dedicated sub for that.

Can I say the Sony HT-SF150 does a whole lot more than that? Not exactly! Don’t get me wrong, this soundbar serves up very solid audio quality. You’re getting well-defined, clear vocals and – again – OK bass levels, thanks to the inclusion of a built-in bass reflex speaker. This gives a significant leg-up to deep tones, ideal for dark soundtracks in movies and video games.

For its size, the Hisense really did impress me with its audio – the included sub gives it a bit of boost in terms of sound-for-pound value in my book. Contrasting that, Sony’s S-Force Front Surround virtual processing is superior to the HS214’s surround mode. So really, it’s a close one here. If you want the benefits of a mini soundbar but don’t want to miss out on power, the Hisense HS214 may be the better option. But for something with more spatial audio, the Sony soundbar gets the nod from me.

Hisense HS214 vs Sony HT-SF150: Design

Again, things are very tight here on the design front – the largest point of separation between these two rivals. Of course, the Hisense HS214 is a mini soundbar, so it’s going to take up way less room – ideal if you’re in a college dorm or small living space. The Sony HT-SF150, meanwhile, is far longer – but it’s still very slim if you’re working with limited shelf depth, for example.

In terms of looks, both are very nicely turned out. They each have an almost leather-like finish on the top, which deviates from a lot of budget soundbar’s highly plasticky appearance. They also both have neat-looking, responsive remotes in the box – big win! The Sony soundbar does have a more durable-feeling and more premium-looking design overall, though and certainly wouldn’t look out of place under one of the best TVs.

Something I didn’t like about either soundbar, though, was their use of a small LED display. Some cheap models, like the Majority Elias, showcase actual numbers and letters to make it clear which mode you’re in and what volume level you’re at. I much prefer that to the discreet circular light used with both of these models. This design choice meant I had to sift through the user manuals of both soundbars to figure out what different color lights or flashing patterns meant. Thumbs down.

Overall, though, this is too close to call. Personally, I love the small size of the Hisense HS214. I have pretty limited space around my TV setup, so the flexibility it provides is a huge plus. I can’t deny the deceptively premium appearance of the Sony HT-SF150 though – so really, which one comes out on top depends on whether you want practicality or enticing looks.

Hisense HS214 vs Sony HT-SF150: Setup and usability

Both of these soundbars are extremely easy to set up and use – even more so than some of the best soundbars. I encountered little in the way of unresponsiveness when trying out the included remotes and there were no complex installation steps to follow.

I would say, however, that the Sony HT-SF150 has some slightly odd button controls to get to grips with. Some settings, like switching to Bluetooth, require you to repeatedly press a button on the included-remote – something you won’t have to put up with from Hisense’s soundbar.

A great thing about both of these soundbars is that they support HDMI ARC, so you can just connect your model up to a power source, plug an HDMI cable and you’re away. This connectivity method will also enable you to use your standard TV remote to adjust volume – pretty neat!

But there is a marginal winner here in terms of the sheer variety of connectivity methods – and that’s the Hisense HS214. OK, the Sony HT-SF150 has plenty – namely, HDMI, digital optical, USB and Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity. But the Hisense adds coaxial to the mix, so if you need a budget soundbar that supports that, look no further. Combine that with some strange button controls on the Sony remote and the Hisense HS214 slightly edges it for me.

Hisense HS214 vs Sony HT-SF150: Value

And finally, let’s talk about arguably the most important topic – which soundbar offers better bang for your buck. Honestly, both of these are great value options and for the clarity they’ll add to your TV setup, are well-worth investing in.

As I mentioned in the ‘Price and availability’ section, both can often be found on sale, but if we’re strictly talking list price, there’s not too much difference in cost. The Hisense HS214 will set you back $99 / £79 (about AU$160), which is exceptional for a model that has an integrated subwoofer and clear dialogue replication. The Sony HT-SF150, however, is $129 / £99 / AU$194. Of course, you get a larger, slightly more premium-looking model here, so there’s really nothing in it value-wise.

Hisense HS214 vs Sony HT-SF150: Verdict

So, it’s clear for all to see – this is a battle for the ages. It’s really tough to pick a winner between these two – you get impressive audio, high build quality and loads of connectivity options, no matter which soundbar you go for. If you’re working with limited room, I really recommend checking out the Hisense HS214 – it’s a small soundbar that punches above its weight and is exceptionally easy-to-use. But I would argue that for those with the space, the Sony HT-SF150 is a better option. That’s mainly due to the superior expansiveness on offer, as well as its fetching looks and broad feature-set. What do you think? Let me know your winner in the comments below.

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